


don't let go

by notthelasttime



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: (though it's more like """death""" as all things live on in the Transistor), Ambiguous/Open Ending, Art, Canonical Character Death, Collaboration, Digital Art, M/M, Minor Violence, Transistor AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-20 15:28:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18995395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notthelasttime/pseuds/notthelasttime
Summary: Hey Ignis...We're not going to get away with this are we?Ignis gripped the handle of the Transistor and pulled.





	don't let go

**Author's Note:**

  * For [flavoredmagpie](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=flavoredmagpie).



> art by [flavoredmagpie](https://flavoredmagpie.tumblr.com/)

 

_Hey Ignis..._

_We're not going to get away with this are we?_

 

                 [](https://www.flickr.com/photos/181607841@N07/47924170323/in/dateposted/)

 

_C’mon, pull._

Rooftops – the west end of Insomnia, blocks away from the Citadel and the chaos there. Out here it was too quiet, too much empty space between each breath. There should have been something, distant sirens, some commotion, the sounds of the city at night. Something was wrong. A lot of somethings were wrong. They had to move.

Ignis gripped the handle of the Transistor and pulled.

_Together again. Well… sort of. Lets get you out of here before they can do any more damage._

Nyx’s voice, in a slight crackle of distortion, like all those video calls with bad connections from so many miles away. Nyx’s jacket over his shoulders, the thick fabric and heavy weight of it comforting and familiar, something tangible to cling on to. He could run his hands over it, piece all the parts together through his imagination, but he couldn’t see it, he couldn’t…

A lament for another time. He had to keep it together.

His own jacket was on the ground, nearly ripped in half and destroyed. An excuse, to put Nyx’s jacket around him, to feel it, to smell him lingering on the lapels, to pretend that Nyx was still there in the flesh and that the nightmare of this evening wasn’t just beginning.

Keep it together.

 _Ignis… we have to go. Roof access to the next building is straight ahead of you_.

The Transistor spoke in Nyx’s voice, Ignis clutching it to his chest.

It was heavier than expected for such a small thing, just larger than the average dagger, and though he’d only caught a glimpse of it before that flash of light, before everything went dark, the curves of it felt familiar; the spiraling etching and the coeurl teeth dangling off the end like charms. _They stole it_ , Nyx had said. This was nothing of the Niflheim’s creation, and Gods knew what else they’d been nurturing in secret. Ignis thought he could feel it vibrate. A living thing. The handle was warm in the same way his laptop was warm when it overheated, and if he could see (but he couldn’t see), he could see that glow of it, that radiating turquoise, that he thought when Nyx spoke he could see it- he could almost see it pulsing.

He walked forward, careful in the dark world with a panicked grip tight on the Transistor, hanging on Nyx’s every word and every direction. Nyx had saved his life in lieu of his own, but that hadn’t meant that he came away unscathed.

_Ignis-_

A noise, that even without his sight, Ignis knew too well. That syncopated clicking movement, the grind of metal as MTs locked their bodies into place, and Nyx’s voice was all he had to keep him from falling into hysteria.

_They found us. They want you back, I’ll bet._

Just breathe. Nyx’s voice fierce in every shred of every word.

 _Well so do I_.

He heard…

The hum of machinery, the sounds of their every move and he breathed, latching on to everything he could hear until it felt like everything slowed down to a stop and

_Trus t  m e_

Just breathe

_Let me be  y o u r   e y  e  s_

He felt the Transistor surge, so strong he could almost imagine he saw the light of it and the handle went hot in his palm.

_Ig n i  s,    t   r  u  s  t     m    e_

He did.

That thing- the Transistor. Nyx. He raised it high. It may have looked like a blade, but it was no ordinary blade and when he heard Nyx in his head commanding _now_ , he brought it down in an arc, a blast of what felt like static electricity shooting directly out of the tip.

_Trust me._

They were of one mind, and he let Nyx guide him, every time he said, _go_ , every time he said, _to your left_ , he said, _in front of you, now_ , and Ignis’s fingers loosened, he felt the Transistor spin and shoot a ray of bolts at the MTs. _Move, now!_ And Ignis moved, just missing whatever had been shot at him and nearly losing his balance – just breathe – and he had to force himself not to panic, just to listen to his surroundings and get his bearings once again, listen to Nyx’s succinct directions, guiding him through every move. _Trust me_. Like Ignis didn’t already trust Nyx with his life and there was a sharp pain through his heart at the thought.

As if the Transistor had hit Ignis there instead.

The last MT fell, a crash of machinery and Ignis felt all the tension leave his body, suddenly drained. That rush of adrenaline and the stillness that came with it, the moment had passed and time picked up speed back to something resembling normal. Everything was dark again.

 _Ignis… I haven’t ever seen MTs like this before_.

Ignis walked forward, free hand reaching out until it landed on the broken automaton, and he said, “Tell me.”

 _Nifs must have been working on something new,_ _some kind of experimental tech_.

His hands roamed as Nyx spoke, too many limbs, too many odd shapes.

_Never saw weaponry like that on them before. They found us fast too, better skip town before things get worse. We could go south from here, skirt past downtown and make it outside the wall. West end, huh? My bike might still be nearby._

“And are you planning on driving? With what arms, Nyx?” His words held more bite than he wanted them too, but it had been a long night. Ignis kept his free hand outstretched as he walked forward, furious at his own sluggish movements and his inability to go forward with confidence. He had to focus on Nyx’s voice.

_I’ll be your eyes._

Right.

_Go south Ignis. Get as far away from here as you can before the Nifs can try and finish the job, alright? Just… Whatever you do, don’t go anywhere near the Citadel. Don’t do anything stupid, alright?._

Right.

 

* * *

 

Ignis hated these events.

He was standing in the periphery, glad to be away from everyone and outside of the center of attention for a moment. He couldn’t claim to be anyone of particular importance, but his closeness to the Prince made him someone worth knowing- _unfortunately_. A fact all but highlighted by the Prince’s absence, and if the vultures couldn’t get at the Royal family directly then they would find their ways. The visiting dignitaries from Niflheim had been polite at least. Polite on the surface with those sharp teeth hidden behind close lipped smiles, clearly after something but going along with the pleasant farce. Ignis had a bad feeling about their guests, and the sooner the pleasant little welcoming party was over, the better. He swallowed what was left in his flute of champagne and grimaced.

“Mr. Scientia.”

Without turning his head, Ignis fought the smile that was on the verge of breaking through simply from the sound of that voice, so welcome, a reprieve after the long hours of careful politeness and ridged decorum. He looked up from his glass to Nyx, who slid seamlessly into place next to him, in his best guard duty pose, straight back and hands clasped behind him.

“Mr. Ulric,” Ignis said back, keeping with the charade. It was nobody’s business but their own just how well they knew each other. “Everything in order?”

“Yes sir,” Nyx said and Ignis had to try and hide his laugh behind his glass- only to realize it was empty and he looked like more of a fool. Not that Nyx minded and not that anyway was paying much attention to them, tucked away in their corner. Better to be careful of prying eyes though, Ignis knew the fact just as sure as Nyx did, particularly within present company. Now was not the time to start rumors about themselves, but hell if Ignis didn’t want to lean over and give Nyx a peck on the side of his cheek. A little thank you, for coming to keep Ignis company in his down time.

“You’ve had a chance to enjoy the party, I trust?” Ignis said, wanting with every bit of himself to break the charade and whisper in Nyx’s ear that he wanted to see him later. Nyx could calm his mind to something quiet, wipe away the bad taste in his mouth left from the rest of the night. He would leave his door unlocked that night, regardless if they had a chance to speak more in private, because at times it felt like Nyx could read his mind. He probably already knew what Ignis wanted. Ignis, who had spent most of his life cultivating the careful stoic appearance and rendering himself unreadable. It never worked on Nyx, who could always guess what he was thinking. And when Ignis had huffed and crossed his arms and asked, _how do you do that, how do you always know?_ Nyx had leaned in close to his ear to share his secret, _you’re not as mysterious as you like to think_. That had made Ignis smile. Nyx always made him smile.

“Of course, sir,” Nyx said, voice airing on the conspiratorial, and the curve of a smirk around his lips, and Ignis would have to yell at him to tone it down, stop toying with him, because Nyx’s lips were the last place he should be looking, and thinking of what they could do instead of talking.

Nyx opened his mouth, about to say more, then abruptly cut himself off, face changing in an instant, catching the movement out of the corner of his eye of figures approaching.

Ignis followed his eyeline and frowned as the last people he hoped to see were making their way towards him.

He named them off down the row: Loqi Tummelt, Caligo Uldor, Ardyn Izunia, Iedolas Aldercapt. Heavy hitters from Niflheim and if they were coming to him now, when things were final winding down, then there was a problem, and nothing good was to come of it. Ignis straightened his jacket and set his face into something neutrally pleasant, stepping forward and ready to address any and all concerns, the perfect face representing Lucian Royalty in their absence.

He was about to address them, pleasant inquiries about what he could do for them, seeing as they got closer how grim their faces were and that gnawing feeling that something was terribly wrong was back in full force and rolling in his stomach.

Ardyn Izunia was pulling back his jacket.

“Ignis...” he heard Nyx behind him, and the caution in his voice.

In one swift movement Izunia’s jacket was flung back, his free arm extended and there was a terrible drawn out realization as Ignis knew, when he saw something that looked like a dagger hurtling towards him, that there was nothing he could do, that it was headed straight for his chest and all things were about to come to an end.

“ _Ignis-_ ”

Nyx was there. Pulling back on his shoulder, pushing Ignis away and flinging himself forward into the line of fire, so fast Ignis didn’t have time to shout. Instead there was a gasp, the sound of all the air leaving his body, a flash of light, the sight of Nyx’s back in front of him, and then the feeling of the world spinning beneath him, and the ground suddenly gone beneath his feet.

Everything went dark.

 

* * *

 

 

_Hey._

_You’re not going south._

“No, I’m not.”

Maybe it was a blessing that Ignis couldn’t see him, because he knew that Nyx would have that frustrated-disappointed look on his face and Ignis didn’t want any more guilt on top of what he was already feeling.

_You’re too damn stubborn for your own good, you know that?_

“The same could be said about you, Ulric.”

_You got away from them once, lets not tempt fate, alright? Get out of the city and keep yourself alive. We don’t even know why they’re after you._

“And we won’t find out if we run away.”

Nyx went quiet and Ignis almost regretted his words, no matter how true they were because Nyx’s voice was his tether to the world now. He couldn’t lose that too.

Nyx didn’t have to know all the details of what he planned to do.

“Nyx…” he could come clean now. Ignis bit back the words. “Nyx, tell me what you see.”

There was a pause, not long enough for real panic but Ignis was tense all the same, wondering if he was taking things to far but _then again_ , look at what Nyx had done earlier that night. There was no such thing as _too far_ between them now.

_Most of the city’s dark… the Citadel too, but the lights are still on at the roof. They’re probably still up there, while the MTs crawl the city._

“Where are we?” Ignis asked, moving forward again at his slow and steady pace, let his trust in Nyx guide him along.

_Highrise. You know I… never thought much of it. Until I found out you lived here._

Ignis came to a stop at the edge of the rooftop, facing what he thought was the direction of the Citadel. He had unfinished business to attend to, of the morbid sort. But he would be damned if he would let Insomnia was left crawling with Nifs and he’d be damned if Nyx’s debt wasn’t repaid. It was still too quiet, and far too still. He pulled Nyx’s jacket closer around himself, and started off again, knowing beyond every corner there could be another fight, another chance to put his life into the Transistor’s hands.

_Ignis, whatever you are thinking, do me a favor…_

_Don’t let go._

 

* * *

 

 

_Ignis…_

_Ignis where are you? Come on, come on… where is he...he was just here, he has to be here. Ignis? Come on, please be there… please let him be alright…_

Ignis was shaking. He was on the ground and he heard Nyx’s voice from somewhere, but everything was wrong.

Everything was black.

He ran a trembling hand over his face, felt the brush of his eyelashes against his palm when he blinked, verifying he had his eyes wide open. So then why couldn’t he see?

_Ignis… you’e got to be alright… please… please he’s got to be alright… I was right there… he was right there, I…_

_Where am I?_

He tried to get to his feet, but the world was still off kilter, and Ignis was afraid he was going to be sick, up and out with all of that fancy champagne. He crawled forward on all fours, following the sound of Nyx’s voice.

_Ignis… Ignis… Ignis…_

“Nyx?”

_Hey-_

He’d never heard Nyx sound so relieved. But his voice sounded strange. Something that barely registered what with everything else that was horribly wrong. Ignis outstretched his arms, closer to the sound of Nyx’s voice, and a thought just tickling the back of his head that he didn’t know why Nyx wasn’t moving closer to him too.

 _Hey, I know this looks bad, but I’m alright_.

“Nyx?” Ignis could hear how badly his voice was shaking, still his hands searched the ground.

_Ignis I’m- I’m right here, right in front of you. Can’t you see me?_

His right hand smacked hard against something. Dead weight. The heavy thud of something lifeless thumping to the ground. He reached forward, shaking hands afraid of what they’d find, and when they landed on something familiar, the thick leather and heavy laces, metal buckles of Nyx’s boots, how many times had he seen Nyx wearing them? A strangled noise left his mouth, something that might have been close to a sob.

_Can’t you see me?_

“Nyx? _Nyx?_ ”

… _Oh no._

  


The comforting weight of Nyx’s jacket kept him grounded as he slipped it over his shoulders. He’d had his moment, verging on hysterics while he pieced his world together with Nyx’s broken voice and his numbed fingers, but there wasn’t time for that now. He had to keep it together.

 _C’mon, pull_.

He kept one hand steady against Nyx’s lifeless chest, no heartbeat now, no warmth coming from his body, and Ignis knew what he had to do.

Ignis gripped the handle of the Transistor and pulled.

 

**Author's Note:**

> a huge thank you to flavoredmagpie on this (seriously - all I had to say was "transistor au?" and then _suddenly there was art_ ), and I hope you enjoyed it!!  
> there's definitely some potential for this to continue, though at the moment... lets leave these boys as they are


End file.
